Handcovering for bowling

ABSTRACT

A handcovering for bowling having a body shaped to be secured against the palm of the hand and a pad selectively engageable on the body in the region thereof coinciding with the heel of the hand, the pad having a crescent shaped shoulder for engaging a bowling ball.

United States Patent Inventor Thomas F. Callanan 253 D. Lafayette Road, Metuchen, NJ. 08840 Appl No. 852,864

Filed Aug. 25, 1969 Patented June 8, 1971 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 625,923, Mar. 22, 1967, now abandoned.

HANDCOVERING FOR BOWLING 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

lnt.Cl ..A63b 71/14 Field of Search 273/54 (B);

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,258,999 10/1941 Nunn 2/l6l(A)UX 3,031,680 5/1962 Compiano 273/54(B)UX 3,344,436 10/1967 Stubbs .0 273/54(B)X 3,421,160 1/1969 Domenico..... 273/54(B)X 3,438,630 4/1969 Petti 273/54(B) Primary Examiner- Anton O. Oechsle Attorney-John J. Gallagher ABSTRACT: A handcovering for bowling having a body shaped to be secured against the palm of the hand and a pad selectively engageable on the body in the region thereof coinciding with the heel of the hand, the pad having a crescent shaped shoulder for engaging a bowling ball.

HANDCOVERING FOR BOWLING This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 625,923 filed Mar. 22, 1967, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the prior art, various means have been attempted to increase the contact between a hand and the bowling ball to improve accuracy of bowling. One such means is use of a thick pad in the palm of a hand so a better balance may be achieved by increasing the accuracy of bowling.

One of the disadvantages of such means is that, in an existing bowling ball tailored to the bowlers hand, the use of a pad changes the span between the thumb and the fingerholes as much as one-fourth of an inch, which change requires the plugging and redrilling of the finger-holes with the attendant additional expense and possible change in weight of the ball. With the use of pads or a thick center, the ball is not positively immobilized in the hand and can move, thereby decreasing the accuracy provided by the pad or center.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to handcovering for improving accuracy in bowling by providing means to stabilize a bowling ball in the hand of a bowler.

The invention furnishes means to stabilize a bowling ball by providing a handcovering having a crescent-shaped, bowlingball-engaging shoulder to form a stable seat for the ball in the hand of the bowler.

The invention also provides an accuracy-increasing handcovering for bowlers which is adaptable for use with bowlers having hands of differing sizes by providing a handcovering having a crescent-shaped shoulder which is movable on the covering to compensate for differing hand sizes.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the handcovering is provided comprising a body shaped to be secured against the palm of a hand; a pad having a crescent-shaped shoulder for engaging a bowling ball; the pad being movably disposed on the body in an area to coincide with the heel of a hand when the pad is secured to a hand.

These, and other objects of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following detailed description when viewed in light of the accompanying drawing, wherein like components throughout the figures thereof are indicated by like numerals and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a disassembled view of a handcovering in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handcovering of FIG. 1 assembled and installed on a bowlers hand; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view. of the handcovering of FIG. 2 taken along the lines 3-3 thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. I, a handcovering comprises a body 12, formed of a suitable material, such for example as vinyl plastic bonded to a woven material. The body 12 is preferably die-cut to shape as illustrated, and comprises a thumb cutout l4 terminatin g, in the disassembled configuration, in tabs 16 and 18, a palm cover 20, a pair of straps 22 and 24 and an arcuate or crescent-shaped member 26, formed of a relatively soft elastomeric material such, for example, as rubber or the like. When assembled, the tabs 16 and 18 are sewn or otherwise connected together, preferably in a permanent fashion, to close the cutout 14.

The straps 22 and 24 are provided with mating fastening means 28 and 30 which cooperate, when joined behind a bowlers hand, as seen in FIG. 1, and fit the covering 10 over the palm of the hand. The means 28 and 30 preferably comprise 'strips of the hook and burr type, sewn or otherwise permanently adhered to the straps, 22 and 24. As is known in the art, this type of fastener comprises one section having a plurality of small hook fasteners which cooperate with relatively soft, fibrous burrs on the other section to releasably connect the two sections. Such fasteners are marketed under the trademark "Velcro by American Velcro, Inc. of Manchester, Vermont.

As can further be seen, the fastening means 28 and 30 provide an adjustable interconnection of the straps 22 and 24, so that the covering 10 may be adjusted snugly for any size hand. A fastening pad 32, preferably of the burr type described above, is affixed to the palm cover 20 of the covering 10 by any suitable means such as by sewing, adhesive or the like.

As can best be seen by reference to FIG. 3, the crescent member 26 is, in cross-sectional configuration, substantially semicircular with a flat base 34 thereto. A fastener surface 36, preferably of the hook type to cooperate with the fastening pad 32 as described above, is fixed to the base 34 of the crescent member 26 in such a manner that the crescent member may be adjustably positioned at any point on the surface of the fastening pad 32 as is illustrated in FIG. 2. As can be readily seen, the crescent member 26 may thereby be readily adjusted to compensate for hand-size and for the individual bowlers techniques and bowling styles so that the device may be used to provide the greatest accuracy with maximum flexibility.

Through the member 26, the maximum area of contact between the hand and the bowling ball is assured without varying the spacing of the ball with respect to the palm of the hand. Since no variation in ball positioning is imposed by the invention, there is no necessity for reboring the fingerholes in existing bowling balls, so that the invention may be used, thereby avoiding the expense and possible change of weight of the rebored ball. The crescent shape also provides for a stable nesting of the ball in the palm of the hand during back-swing, since an arcuate surface of the ball lays against the crescent, locking the ball and substantially preventing it from moving on the back swing. The adjustable feature of the crescent-shaped member, as stated above, allows for adjustability for different size hands, length of fingers, etc.

The invention thereby provides an adjustable means for limiting the movement of a bowling ball in the hand of a player while at the same time giving the player more effective control of the direction of projection of the ball as it is discharged from the hand, due to the increase in surface contact provided.

In use, the ball is held in the bowlers hand in the usual manner, and the member 26 is adjusted so that it bears against the ball through the entire arcuate surface thereof with a slight amount of compression preferably being imparted thereto. The ball is then swung back and released in the usual fashion, the member 26 allowing the additional concentration of force from the palm of the hand to the bowling ball, while at the same time stabilizing the bowling ball through the entire arc of the swing of the hand.

What has been set forth above is intended primarily as exemplary to enable those skilled in the art in the practice of the invention. It should, therefore, be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than is specifically described.

What is new and therefore desired to be protected by letters patent of the United States is:

I claim:

1. A hand covering for bowling comprising a body shaped to fit against the palm of a hand, means for securing said body to the hand, a resilient crescent-shaped ball support disposed on said body in coincidence with the general heel area of the hand when said body is secured to the hand, said support comprising an elongated curved member substantially semicircular in cross section and forming a shoulder for engaging and making substantial line contact with an arcuate segment of a bowling ball.

2. A handcovering in accordance with claim 1 wherein said support is selectively fixed to said body by means of a fastening pad fixed to said body between said body and said support, and connecting means between said member and said pad to selectively attach said member to the surface of said pad.

3. A covering in accordance with claim 2 wherein said connecting means comprises a plurality of hooklike members projecting from the base of said member and a hook engaging burrlike surface on said pad. 

1. A hand covering for bowling comprising a body shaped to fit against the palm of a hand, means for securing said body to the hand, a resilient crescent-shaped ball support disposed on said body in coincidence with the general heel area of the hand when said body is secured to the hand, said support comprising an elongated curved member substantially semicircular in cross section and forming a shoulder for engaging and making substantial line contact with an arcuate segment of a bowling ball.
 2. A handcovering in accordance with claim 1 wherein said support is selectively fixed to said body by means of a fastening pad fixed to said body between said body and said support, and connecting means between said member and said pad to selectively attach said member to the surface of said pad.
 3. A covering in accordance with claim 2 wherein said connecting means comprises a plurality of hooklike members projecting from the base of said member and a hook engaging burrlike surface on said pad. 